Distribution warehouses are a common element of the flow of goods in commerce in the twenty-first century. Such warehouses are commonly used to centralize or store goods from one or multiple suppliers, and then redistribute specific goods to desired locations, often where those goods will be sold.
A typical distribution warehouse includes a number of loading docks, with each dock configured to receive a single semi-truck freight trailer. A loading dock typically includes a door from the dock to the warehouse through which goods can be moved from the trailer to the warehouse. Loading dock door opening areas are typically shaped to complement the rear end of a typical trailer, and are also typically elevated above ground level so that the loading dock door is located at a height that complements the height of the floor of the trailer. Having a loading door area with a height complementary to the floor of the trailer permits forklifts and other machines, personnel, or hardware to move easily between the warehouse and interior of the freight trailer. Although this setup is commonly seen in distribution warehouses, it is often found at other facilities and can be implemented (structural considerations permitting) anywhere that the loading and unloading of a semi trailer with a forklift or other machine is desired to be made convenient.
In a typical case, a semi trailer would be backed into the space allotted for it in a loading dock such that the rear opening of the trailer is aligned with the door of the dock and the rear of the trailer is a desired distance from the front edge of the dock door opening area. After the rear of the trailer is aligned and positioned, the trailer is often disengaged from the semi truck and the truck is relocated. It is understood in the art that trailer attaches to the semi truck by way of the trailer's pivot pin or “kingpin.”
When engaged to a semi, a trailer enjoys significant support and stability, because the semi truck wheelbase serves as a support structure for the front of the trailer. When disengaged from a semi truck, trailers lose that support and stability, because they become supported and stabilized only by their own wheels. A trailer unsupported by engagement to a semi truck lacks sufficient stability to safely support shifting cargo, personnel movement, or forklifts moving within the trailer or between the trailer and the loading bay door opening area. Attempting to move cargo, personnel, or machines like forklifts within a trailer disengaged from a semi may cause the trailer to move an undesirable distance from the loading bay door opening area, or, in some cases, to tip over.
Some, but not all, trailers are equipped with front landing gear. It will be understood by one skilled in the art that a trailer's “front landing gear” comprises a jackstand permanently attached to the front portion of the trailer. Although front landing gear improve the stability of a trailer disengaged from a semi, significant risks still exist to attempting to move cargo, personnel, or machines like forklifts within the trailer without further support. If the front landing gear is insufficient to support the weight of a forklift, or if the landing gear is improperly deployed or becomes damaged, undesirable movement and tipping may occur.
It is known to the art to use an additional, independently placed jack to stabilize and support the front of a trailer unhooked from a semi, such as a trailer left for loading in a loading dock. The purpose of such stabilizing jacks is to enable the safe movement of cargo, personnel, and machines like forklifts within and around the trailer, regardless of whether a trailer is equipped with front landing gear and regardless of whether that front landing gear is in good condition or properly deployed.
Jacks known to the art suffer a number of deficiencies and drawbacks. First, jacks known to the art are heavy and difficult to maneuver. Due to the typically high center of gravity, even when a jack is equipped with one or two wheels to assist with movement, a user is required to support and carry much of the weight of the jack during movement. Jacks known to the art are equipped to be coupled with the kingpin of the trailer to optimize the stability and support provided. This, however, requires users to maneuver underneath the floor of the trailer to locate the kingpin and couple it to the jack. Maneuvering underneath a decoupled and not-yet-stabilized trailer is inherently risky. Further, the floor height of most trailers requires users to crawl or crouch when attempting to locate the kingpin and couple it to the jack. This is inconvenient and uncomfortable. Further, attempting to maneuver the heavy and unwieldy jacks known to the art while crawling or crouched is difficult and physically demanding.
There is a long-felt need for a device to support and stabilize a decoupled trailer that maintains the relative position of the freight trailer with respect to the dock and inhibits the trailer from tipping over, but that can be easily moved by a user and eliminates or minimizes the risks and difficulties associated with crawling or crouching underneath the floor of a decoupled trailer.